Dutch White Asparagus Soup

Dutch White Asparagus Soup

Know your classics: this delicious Dutch White Asparagus Soup with ham and egg is one of the must-have Dutch recipes in your recipe book. The secret? You make the soup with a delicious roux and a good amount of pureed asparagus. And don't forget a dash of cream.

And garnish the asparagus soup with strips of ham and egg. Not only does this give a delicious bite, but it is not for nothing that it is one of the best-known flavor combinations with asparagus (so delicious).

Even though this creamy asparagus soup is made with flour and cream, and topped with delicacies such as ham and egg, this is still a low-calorie soup. With just over 250 calories, it's a lean evening meal. And it is very filling!

This white asparagus soup is easy to make, is creamy, and wonderfully soft. It feels like a luxurious and elegant soup and I like to eat this soup as an appetizer at a dinner party in the spring. But it is also irresistibly delicious for lunch with some bread.

The start of the Asparagus season

The asparagus season has started and the white gold is available and fresh again. Always an announcement of spring. The veggies have a smooth, creamy, and unique flavor. Practically not comparable to any other vegetable.

When buying asparagus make sure that you always keep your asparagus moist until preparation. They dry out very quickly and then they really don't taste that good anymore.

A common combination (and for good reason) is asparagus with ham and egg. And that is exactly what is used in this soup and makes it so delicious.

What do. you need for White Asparagus Cream Soup

For the preparation of this White Asparagus Soup you need the following ingredients (you can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog):

• Asparagus - Asparagus can be bought in the green or white variant. In the Netherlands white is the most available one and a real delicacy. Only available fresh between the beginning of March and June 24th. After that day, the asparagus is left alone so that they can regain strength for the following year. You can also use green asparagus for this soup, but then the color will of course be very different.

• Vegetable stock and sugar - Put both in the pan and cook the asparagus tips al dente and the rest of the asparagus completely. This is the basis of your creamy asparagus soup. You add the little bit of sugar to make the taste of the asparagus even better.

• Butter and flour - This will make a roux. With that we bind the asparagus soup.

• Cream - To give this soup that velvet flavor. You can also use cooking cream for this.

• Deli ham and Egg - The topping of the soup. We cut the ham into small strips before adding it. The egg is first hard-boiled and then peeled. Then we finely grate it.

Step 1 - Prepare the asparagus

1. Place the asparagus in a container of cold water for at least one hour. That way you can peel them better. Meanwhile, cook the eggs until they are hard.
2. Grab the asparagus at the top and bend the other side. This will break the asparagus just above the bottom. The part that you hold in your hand is the woody part and you cannot eat.
3. Peel the asparagus with a vegetable peeler.
4. Cut the top of the asparagus (about 1 inch (three cm)). Store separately. Cut the rest of the asparagus into ¾ inch (2 cm) pieces.

Step 2 - Boil the asparagus and make an asparagus broth

1. Add the asparagus tips, stock, and sugar to the pan and bring to the boil.
2. Simmer for ten minutes until the asparagus tips are al dente and remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon.
3. Add the rest of the asparagus to the pan and simmer them in the hot stock for 20 minutes.
4. Puree the asparagus stock with an immersion blender.

Step 3 - Make a roux and dilute it with asparagus stock and cream

1. Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour.
2. Stir fry it on low heat for two minutes. Bake the flour for at least two minutes, otherwise, you will get a soup with a floury taste. You always do this when you make a roux or add flour to a soup. Let it cool down. A cold roux mixes better with a warm liquid, therefore you won't get lumps.
3. Pour in the warm asparagus stock while mixing with a whisk.
4. Finally, pour the cream with the asparagus stock.

Step 4 - Mix the cream into the soup.

Now heat the Dutch white asparagus soup over low heat, but do not let it come to a boil (when you see steam appearing above the pan, the soup is warm enough).

How do you store asparagus?

Use fresh asparagus, preferably. If that's not possible, wrap them in a damp tea towel and keep them in the refrigerator for a maximum of two days.

You can also freeze asparagus. Bring a pan of water to a boil. In the meantime, you clean the asparagus. Blanch the asparagus in the boiling water for two minutes and rinse immediately with cold water. Put them in a freezer bag and keep them in the freezer for up to one month.

How do you clean white asparagus easily?

Before you start, put the asparagus in a bowl of cold water for an hour. This way you can peel them better. Cut off about ¾ inch (two cm) at the bottom or use the break method as described above.

By breaking the woody part of the asparagus instead of cutting it, you are at exactly the right point, avoiding the fleshy part of your creamy asparagus soup and keeping most of the asparagus for your soup. Peel the outside of the asparagus with a fine peeler.